In my research I will be looking at the old central terminal building of Dublin Airport as an entity in itself. There is no dedicated work devoted to its design and the glamourous, luxury appeal it held for the public when it first opened in 1939 up to the 1950s. The airport operated as a neutral space as it was a sort of international building which connected Ireland to the outside world, at a time when Ireland has been described as being very insular. In terms of its modernist design, it was a landmark of International Style architecture in Ireland but, due to its being opened in 1939, war-time censorship led to its importance being overlooked somewhat as reports on the design were delayed until 1945. My research involves examining primary sources such as original drawings, photographs of the original interior, the first reports written on the design and a Bill of Quantities for its construction. I will also interview people who worked and socialized there in the 1950s, whilst also reviewing existing literature on the airport. In addition to this I am looking at theoretical and design literature on the subject of airports, travel and modernity. This research is being carried out with a view to generating a good impression of the building’s original appearance as a work of total design, the young architects who designed it, and how it worked as a social venue in the context of twentieth-century glamour and modernity.
